Info on why max pack preorder holders "whine"

[Riviandog]

If you were “lied to” why do you still have an order?

That question is so off base , It's not worth answering. Seriously.

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[emoore]

That question is so off base , It's not worth answering. Seriously.

Ok. But you did sort of answer. Just relax, it’s a car not a life or death situation.

 

[Riviandog]

Ok. But you did sort of answer. Just relax, it’s a car not a life or death situation.

Some of us value our time and commitments. It's pretty simple, it's called integrity. ;-)

 

[intimidator]

Here's what max pack preorder holders have been told:

1. 2018/2019 preorder confirmation email: "Production will begin in 2020. Fully equipped vehicles with the highest performance level and largest battery pack will enter production first. Our 180 kWh and 135 kWh packs will be available at launch with the 105 kWh to follow in 2021."
2. Around Nov 2020 from the Range FAQ on the Rivian website: "At launch, the R1T will deliver 300+ miles. In January 2022, a 400+ mile R1T will be available."
3. Dec 28, 2021 estimated delivery window email: "Your Adventure Package R1T estimated delivery window will be the first half of 2023." (some max pack people were told "second half of 2023")
4. Oct 28, 2022 estimated delivery window email: "R1T Quad-Motor + Max pack deliveries are now planned to start in 2024." (switching to dual motors, which aren't yet being manufactured, has "deliveries starting in Summer 2023.")

So this is why you see "whining" (aka, legitimate complaints) from max pack preorder holders. I understand everyone has seen delays due to the pandemic and supply chain and manufacturing issues, but max pack people went from the front of the line to the very back. And the dates for the back of the line keep getting pushed back further.

Just getting that off my chest. Happy Halloween!

Very well said.

Thank you for posting this.
- Max Pack reservation holder

 

[crashmtb]

I should have mentioned all max pack people should sit tight (and not cancel or change).

Per an interview between Rivian Stories guys and Tony Caravano of Rivian, there will be more info for max pack people "within weeks."

I received zero information from Rivian RE: any pending news for max pack. Only found out about it from seeing that interview over the weekend, and I only found the interview after seeing it mentioned in passing. Sure would have been good to get it from Rivian rather than the “your long promised October update is: your update will come in January“ I got on friday.

 

[intimidator]

I switched from Max pack to large when it became clear that Max was no longer 1st to be produced - a small part of why I was willing to pony up for it. At time I was not pleased. But it was at this same time that I realized the weight of the Max pack would reduce payload capacity to such an extent it would be much less useful for towing (for me).

I'll happily take delivery of the large pack for now, and stay to shorter, decent weather trips when towing or when I have plenty of time to spend on charging stops.

The Max is clearly being re-engineered; likely with new motors, 800v, and who knows what else (roof, battery tech, etc.). RJ has said the motors are capable of 600 hp ea. So a new dual motor *may* offset the additional battery capacity. Maybe not.....especially if Munro and crew turns it into a GM product.

So I'll probably make an additional deposit on the "new" Max pack soon and either trade the large pack in or simply step back out of the max line if I find for whatever reason that doesn't work for me.

We don't know if any re-engineering is taking place. Rivian has never indicated that.

 

[bd5400]

From Reddit. Also from CS, so take this with a grain of salt

This is not new information so it’s likely accurate. Ever since the dual motor was announced Rivian stated that the old pricing only applied to old options and if you selected something new like dual motor or the standard battery pack you’d lose legacy pricing on the truck.

 

[Ravenron]

From Reddit. Also from CS, so take this with a grain of salt

Wow! Sounds like it would be most cost effective to forego the Max Pack for now and try to get a Large Pack truck as soon as you can (even if it’s not exactly what you want)…then drive it for now or sell it. In the meantime, place a new order for the dual motor max (since you’re at new pricing anyway) and sell the large pack truck when you finally get the max pack in a couple of years. Might even come out ahead a bit with pre-March 1st pricing on the large pack truck.

Heck, with all the new EV options coming out in the next couple years, you might find something you like better than the max pack R1T anyway. If so, you’ve gotten to enjoy the current R1T in the interim and could maybe make a little profit or at least break even…

Just a thought…

 

[crashmtb]

Wow! Sounds like it would be most cost effective to forego the Max Pack for now and try to get a Large Pack truck as soon as you can (even if it’s not exactly what you want)…then drive it for now or sell it. In the meantime, place a new order for the dual motor max (since you’re at new pricing anyway) and sell the large pack truck when you finally get the max pack in a couple of years. Might even come out ahead a bit with pre-March 1st pricing on the large pack truck.

Heck, with all the new EV options coming out in the next couple years, you might find something you like better than the max pack R1T anyway. If so, you’ve gotten to enjoy the current R1T in the interim and could maybe make a little profit or at least break even…

Just a thought…

Not much difference in timing for either in Canada it would seem.

 

[MountainBikeDude]

If you were “lied to” why do you still have an order?

 

[Ravenron]

Not much difference in timing for either in Canada it would seem.

Oh…yeah. There is that…

 

[Monkey]

I have another theory but I don't think the max pack holders can handle it. Just some simple omission of words, which I have corrected.

Heh. Good theory in regards to what the folks at Rivian may have meant at the time... But that's not what we were actually told. That said, I think while us Max Pack bag holders are frustrated, this isn't the first new high demand vehicle / EV rodeo for most of us.

I've been a Tesla owner for over 6 years. I'm a truck guy and also quite familiar with the R1T, a friend of mine took delivery of his early this year. I've driven it quite a bit. Initially he was telling me I should skip the Max Pack and just get the large pack. After several months, he says he will most likely be trading up to the max pack or other 400, 500, whatever mileage truck as soon they're available. Cold weather has a significant impact. Can't reach a lot of good trails and camp sites with the large pack. Those who are saying we can just plan our trips a bit better and make adjustments to our trip and charging plans, blah, blah, Max Pack isn't truly necessary, blah, blah... don't get it. Road trips are not my issue. Well, they are if I'm towing a long distance, but still do-able with the planning all the Max Pack naysayers keep pointing out. I want the 400+ mile truck to do the things my Tesla can't do, to go places it can't go. If I'm going to spend $85K on a truck it needs to be able to do truck stuff.

Rivian is selling an off-road adventure lifestyle truck... Too bad, our adventures can't be any further than 140 miles from the nearest charger. Half that if there's a chance of severe weather, sub-zero temperatures or we need to pull a camp trailer, climb trails, etc.. Way less than that if more than one of those factors are at play or we intend to camp. Another 75~100 miles of real-world range would open up another level of usability here. Us Max Pack people are not some edge case or fringe usage scenario. This is what many people do with trucks and off-road vehicles. Rivian has done a tremendous job marketing to our demographic, but they've fallen short on delivering the product.

So I'll just sit on my max pack reservation and see what happens. I'll have my 300-ish mile capable Lightning to be my personal truck in the mean time. If Rivian eventually builds the max pack, then great. If something else comes along in the form of Cybertruck, RAM, whatever that does even better, I'll give it a good look. If I decide I'd rather have a large pack R1T over the Lightning, seems like I can make that happen pretty easy on the 2nd hand market.

Ultimately the two things I'm most frustrated with is not the Max Pack delay itself, but that we had to give up the Launch Edition to select Max Pack. And that my other reservation, an LE reservation, I have I switched it from R1T to R1S a few months ago. But I'm being told the R1S -- even though it's an LE -- won't deliver until July~September of '23!!! I chatted with Rivian to ask what's up with that and they said my scheduling got pushed back in the queue when I switch from R1T to R1S. ...you know, the thing that even their web site says won't happen. Yeah. Best I got was a "we're sorry, but there's been lots of people switching to R1S and parts shortages are causing delays." I can switch back to R1T and probably take delivery early next year. But no, that one is going to stay R1S. My wife wants to trade her Model Y for the R1S. And she's even more all in on that now after we got to check out an R1S this past weekend.

 

[dleepnw]

I would add that I too am legitimately tired of "you don't need the max pack" comments, as non max orders are of hearing us bitch.

Sure I may not need it all the time, but I do need it. Having waited this long, compromising seems like a waste of my time in getting here today. I could have gone LE in November 2020 if I was intent on going that route, but chose not to. I'd also have saved 10K on the lesser battery, but again, doesn't fit my needs.

It's also been frustrating to watch the can kicking a year down the road every time we get within a few months of deliveries commencing. As you pointed out, it adds to our frustration as future owners having waited this long.

I'm likening it to every time I have to take a ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island, miss the ferry by a couple cars, only to find the subsequent ferry is cancelled, and now your stuck in a terminal waiting for the next ferry which arrives in 3+ hours. My brother put it well one day "Oh cool, ferries cancelled and I have to wait here for 5 hours for the next one, I'm real pissed, but I'm gonna sit here, wait and be pissed off in my car, cause what else am I gonna do!"

if they bitch at you about you not needing the range, then bitch right back that they dont need the offroading capability. 90% of them are never going to do more than mall crawl with the R1.

 

[Rivian_Hugh_III]

Good point.

On the other hand, something good from the delay is maybe they'll have the powered tonneau cover sorted out by the time the first max pack delivers.

I suspect the R1Ts of 2024 will have lots of updates, obvious and non-obvious. Winch, maybe updated front end design, tonneau, phone charger, door flashlight shouldn’t rattle any more, gear tunnel may actually pop open if lightly encrusted with snow, better batteries, better motors, maybe the front camera won’t be ultra-pixelated, etc. Lots of goof]d will come from the delay. "Lots of goof" was a typo but I think I’ll leave it, as it also applies, lol.

 

[Yossarian]

. . . So I'll just sit on my max pack reservation and see what happens. I'll have my 300-ish mile capable Lightning to be my personal truck in the mean time. If Rivian eventually builds the max pack, then great. If something else comes along in the form of Cybertruck, RAM, whatever that does even better, I'll give it a good look. If I decide I'd rather have a large pack R1T over the Lightning, seems like I can make that happen pretty easy on the 2nd hand market.
. . .

I've made the same decision about my R1T Max as @Monkey , i. e., just wait on my 5/20 reservation and see what happens. It now seems increasingly likely that Rivian will not deliver a quad-motor Max and will offer the larger battery only with the new dual-motor. I would be more than happy to change to the dual-motor to have the Max but will not do so if it means absorbing the new pricing. Per the Tony C memo/interview, more information on the Max is coming "within weeks", so perhaps that issue will be cleared up shortly.

I suspect the R1Ts of 2024 will have lots of updates, obvious and non-obvious. Winch, maybe updated front end design, tonneau, phone charger, door flashlight shouldn’t rattle any more, gear tunnel may actually pop open if lightly encrusted with snow, better batteries, better motors, maybe the front camera won’t be ultra-pixelated, etc. Lots of goof]d will come from the delay. "Lots of goof" was a typo but I think I’ll leave it, as it also applies, lol.

I'm with you about this @Rivian_Hugh_III and its the primary reason I intend to wait things out. Battery technology is changing rapidly, and it would be worth the wait to have lighter, higher capacity batteries.

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